7 Things To Consider When Taking On A New Hire In The New Year

Talent professionals need only scan the latest headlines to glean the top-of-mind issues in the workplace today.

iStock

While other HR issues are sure to crop up in the next 12 months, these are some of the key themes that talent professionals and hiring managers should stay on top of if they want to attract the best and brightest to their organizations.

Take, for example, the robust economy and low unemployment rate, which are making it an excellent market in which to find a job. On a different note, the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment is forcing HR departments to more closely scrutinize workplace behavior.

There are also issues more specific to the HR industry, including laws in some states that ban employers from seeking information about a job candidate’s salary history or checking criminal records. Longer-term trends involving increased automation and the necessity of a corporate reputation for ethics are also becoming increasingly important.

All these issues and more will give HR teams a lot to think about in the months ahead. Here are seven themes HR directors should focus on in 2018:

1. A job seeker’s market.The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in November, the lowest percentage since 2000. Employers have added jobs every month for the past seven years — a new record. In a job seeker’s market, it can be difficult to hire employees and keep them around. A recent Execu|Search Group study found that 50 percent of current employees plan to stay at their jobs for two years or less. Hiring managers will be challenged to maintain their organizations’ standards when filling positions. “Companies need to be careful about lowering their standards,” said Joe Nuzzo, senior counsel at ADP. “The people that you bring in today will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

2. The Weinstein effect.Since The New York Times published its expose of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in October, women have come forward to allege sexual improprieties against powerful men across various industries. HR directors are feeling pressure to further scrutinize job seekers’ past histories (including their social media activity) and to remain proactive in addressing sexual harassment allegations, signaling a zero-tolerance stance.

3. Salary history laws. Starting Jan. 1, California will prohibit hiring managers from asking applicants about their salary histories. California isn’t the only state to tackle this issue. Massachusetts, Delaware and Oregon have passed similar laws. New York City’s ban took effect Oct. 31. The intent is to enable equal pay for women. The thinking is that women’s past salaries may have been at least partially influenced by sexual discrimination. Banning questions about salary history levels the playing field by making it harder for new employers to pay women according to precedent. Though most of the country still lets employers ask about salary history, hiring managers should avoid asking about it, especially now that the issue is gaining momentum. “If you’re asking [about salary] up front and basing your salary decisions on prior bad acts, then you’re disadvantaging that person again and the situation is just going to keep perpetuating itself,” Nuzzo said.

4. Ban the box. On Jan. 1, California will also become the 10th state to prohibit potential employers from inquiring about applicants’ criminal conviction histories. Some 150 municipalities have similar laws. The rationale behind this movement is that a person may be less likely to apply for a position when he or she has to disclose up front a prior conviction. Moving questions about criminal history to later in the hiring process will reduce the stigma associated with criminal records and encourage employers to more thoughtfully consider an applicant’s qualifications, as well as the job-relatedness of any criminal history.

Even though hiring managers may live in areas unaffected by the laws, they should be aware of the issue and its potential impacts. What’s more, a growing number of states and municipalities are adopting this type of legislation.

5. Diversity. There are many reasons to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Research shows that a more diverse workforce helps organizations increase creativity and capture greater market share, which in turn can make recruiting easier. Companies can promote diversity by providing targeted internships, casting a wider net for potential candidates and launching programs that foster diversity. The overall benefit is illustrating that diversity and inclusion are company values.

6. Soft skills.There is a new emphasis on soft skills in the workplace, including those where repetitive grunt work is becoming increasingly automated. According to a recent Tripwire survey, about two-thirds of companies hiring in the cybersecurity industry are looking for employees who are analytical thinkers, good communicators (60 percent) and are characterized by integrity and an ethical sense (58 percent). Nearly three-quarters of survey participants also said the need for soft skills has increased in the past two years. The reason soft skills are so in demand is that there has been a sudden realization among companies that communication skills are important. As more tasks get automated and outsourced, qualities such as empathy, critical thinking and creativity have become more important.

7. Marketing to applicants.In a market that favors job seekers, corporate image is important. Millennials, who make up about half of the global workforce, are in particular seeking out employers with strong ethics and bold stances on political and cultural issues. Employers with strong values and high ethical standards should make those values and standards unambiguous in the interview process. Making clear that you’re seeking candidates with a “moral compass” will “make you a more attractive employer,” Nuzzo said.

While other HR issues are sure to crop up in the next 12 months, these are some of the key themes that talent professionals and hiring managers should stay on top of if they want to attract the best and brightest to their organizations.

For more information and for more articles like this, visitadp.com/spark.

Todd Wasserman was both the last editor-in-chief of Brandweek and the first business editor for Mashable. He writes mostly about technology.